Brisket Flat

[Jbrewyt]

Hi all. I’m sorry if this has been asked before. I did a quick search and didn’t turn up much. I see a lot about doing full briskets, but not a whole lot on doing just the flat.
Ended up getting a 5lb prime flat from Costco. They had no whole briskets, so I’m stuck with that flat for now. Been researching how to do one and watching videos. Planning a simple rub of salt and pepper with a light dusting of bbq rub on top. Planning to smoke around 200-225F and will be wrapping with butcher paper once temp, fat render and bark appear right. Also planning to add beef tallow to try and keep it moist.

My only question is, how long should I expect to cook? When am I likely to be ready to wrap?
Planning to start this tonight and then want to be able to have it rest in a cooler for 6-8+ hours for dinner time tomorrow evening. Thanks all for any advice

 

[CMTiger]

Never done one, but Malcolm Reed has this video

 

[JamesB]

Hi all. I’m sorry if this has been asked before. I did a quick search and didn’t turn up much. I see a lot about doing full briskets, but not a whole lot on doing just the flat.
Ended up getting a 5lb prime flat from Costco. They had no whole briskets, so I’m stuck with that flat for now. Been researching how to do one and watching videos. Planning a simple rub of salt and pepper with a light dusting of bbq rub on top. Planning to smoke around 200-225F and will be wrapping with butcher paper once temp, fat render and bark appear right. Also planning to add beef tallow to try and keep it moist.

My only question is, how long should I expect to cook? When am I likely to be ready to wrap?
Planning to start this tonight and then want to be able to have it rest in a cooler for 6-8+ hours for dinner time tomorrow evening. Thanks all for any advice

If you are gonna start at night the day before, start at 180-190 overnight, then wrap with peach paper in the morning, bump the temp to 250 until it is done (probes like butter), at an IT of 195-205.
You can easily have it rested and done by noon. If you don’t want it done that early, bump your temp to 225 instead of 250.
At those temps, I’d figure 10 hours on the pit.
To give you some kind of idea about time, I did a 3 pound chuck roast yesterday (cooks very similar to a brisket flat), and it took over 6 hours for a good bark to form (190 for four hours, then 225 for two hours) at around 165 IT, I wrapped and bumped the temp to 275 (was running short on time), and it took another 1 1/2 hours to finish. If I had had enough time, I would have left it at 190 until the wrap, then to 225 to finish.